Movies and Anime that I like
First things first. This is Hack Sign, properly
written, .hack//SIGN. Hack Sign is an Anime series, consisting of 26
episodes, but it is only one part of a greater series called .hack, pronounced
dot-hack. .hack includes an Anime (Hack Sign), four PlayStation2 games
(Hack Infection is in stores now), four Animes which will accompany the games
(called Liminality), another full Anime series (.hack//Legend of Twilight
Bracelet), as well as manga (comic books) and I have heard rumors of a novel and
movie, though these are unconfirmed.
Hack Sign starts with Tsukasa
(pronounced Sue-Ka-Sah, third from left) who wakes up in a cave, dressed as
pictured. He doesn't know where he is or how he got there, or even who he
is. He's just getting to his feet when Mimiru (pronounced Me-Mih-Rue)
walks in and begins talking to him. He learns from her that they are in an
online roleplaying game. He tries to log out, but cannot. Chased by
the game's Crimson Knights (think moderators), who think he is a hacker, and
befriended by (from left to right) B.T., Krim, Subaru, Mimiru, and Bear.
Not shown is Sora, a player-killer, and Aura, a little girl who floats above a
bed in an area only Tsukasa can access, who may be the key to the mysteries that
surround him.
For an Anime, it's slow moving
throughout its 8 hours 40 minutes of combined running time, there is little
action for taking place in an online game, and there is no violence, harsh
language, adult themes, or nudity. The areas in the game are literally eye
candy, and the music by Yuki Kajiura is breathtaking.
This is one of the more interesting characters in
Donnie Darko, perhaps my favorite movie. When asked "Why are you wearing
that stupid bunny suit?" by the title character, his solemn response is "Why are
you wearing that stupid man suit?" Donnie Darko is clinically depressed,
and one morning follows Frank (above) out of his house. Frank tells him
that the world will end in 28 days, and it's up to Donnie to solve the puzzle.
The movie is beautifully done, with
amazing performances in just about every character. The movie takes time
to focus on each and every character, so you feel like you know each of them.
Visually, the movie is perfect, set in the suburbs in Anytown, USA in the year
1988. As if we need reminding of the time period, Tears for Fears do three
or four of the songs, and no, not Shout or Everybody Wants to Rule the World.
I actually respected Tears for Fears after seeing this film.
This is a movie that you will have
to pay close attention to and watch two or three times before you understand the
film. For that reason, it is not an easy film to watch. I recommend
getting it on DVD and watching it with the English subtitles on (so you don't
miss anything) and the director's commentary on. The director plus the
actor who played Donnie explain the film scene by scene throughout the movie.
Of course, you should do this only after seeing the movie once or maybe twice.
There is a second commentary, but it is mostly worthless, the rest of the cast
talking about random stuff throughout.
Notable actors and actresses in
this film include, in no particular order, Jena Malone as Donnie's girlfriend;
Drew Barrymore as an English teacher; and Patrick Swayze as a self-help guru
with a shocking secret.
This creepy little girl is a character in another
favorite movie of mine, The Ring. The Ring is a remake of a Japanese film,
known as Ring or Ringu. That movie, which spawned a sequel and prequel,
was based on a book, also from Japan. This film has influenced Japanese
manga (comic books), television series, and even a rare Sega Dreamcast game.
It also influenced another American film, the pathetic Feardotcom.
The Ring is the story of a
videotape which contains about a minute and a half of disturbing images.
Once it's over, the phone rings, and a ghastly voice tells you that in seven
days, you will die. Four teenagers watch the movie, and, as promised, die
seven days later. One kills himself, two die in a car accident, and the
third is scared to death (see below). The aunt of the one who is scared to
death, who of course does not believe the urban legend, watches the tape, and
thus has seven days to solve its mystery.
The Ring was rated PG-13, probably
because it does not have any real violence (save for showing a few dead bodies),
no nudity, no sex, and very mild language. However, I think it should have
received an R rating for disturbing images. I have never seen a movie that
came close to scaring me, but The Ring scared the crap out of me and continues
to, to this day, five months after seeing it for the first time.
If you have seen this movie only on
VHS, you haven't seen the whole movie. One frame was cut out.
Highlight the following "invisible" text to read more. Don't do it if you
have not yet seen the movie. In the very beginning,
after the television/static scene, when Katie walks upstairs and into the
bedroom, and it zooms in on her face, you're supposed to see a flash of this
horrible face right before the static. That scene was cut out of
the VHS version but is retained in the DVD edition. If you think you have
a strong stomach and are not afraid of gore, scroll down several scenes and I
will show you the frame that was removed from the VHS version. Keep in
mind that 1) it's scary as hell and I can't look at it for more than a couple
seconds, and 2) it's a hell of a lot scarier on the DVD in the full scene.
For those that have seen it, the closet scene is included in the VHS version,
which leads me to wonder why this was cut.
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